INTRODUCTION: As health care becomes increasingly patient centered, organizations strive to improve patients' ratings of satisfaction with care. Communication with nurses and providers drives overall satisfaction, yet little evidence exists to guide them in ensuring effective communication in the emergency department. METHODS: A semistructured interview guide based on the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers survey was used to elicit qualitative data from 30 patients seen in the emergency department and fast track regarding communication with nurses and providers...

INTRODUCTION: Studies show that nurse rounding is an effective means to increase patient satisfaction and quality of care and decrease patient-safety events. There is evidence to support that daily leader rounding improves patients' hospital experience as well. Patients' experience increased confidence in their care providers, and leaders are able to address service concerns proactively. Furthermore, recent studies have addressed patient satisfaction in the ED setting as having an impact on patients' perceptions of the health care institution as a whole...

INTRODUCTION: Appropriate prehospital (PH) triage of patients with chest pain can significantly improve outcomes in acute myocardial infarction (MI). We sought to explore how PH providers triage chest pain as high versus low risk and to evaluate the accuracy and predictors of their triage decision. METHODS: This was a prospective, observational cohort study that enrolled consecutive patients with chest pain transported by emergency medical services (EMS) to 3 tertiary care hospitals in the US...

INTRODUCTION: Emergency nurses could assume a unique role in the screening process and provide patient education regarding the consequences of harmful alcohol use. Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment is an evidence-based method used to identify drinking behaviors that may have a negative impact on people's lives and reduce abuse or dependence on alcohol. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was conducted to evaluate both the effectiveness as well as the feasibility of nurse implementation of screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment in the ED setting...

BACKGROUND: ED boarding is a major issue in many hospitals. ED boarding occurs when there is insufficient hospital capacity to supply inpatient beds for admitted patients. ED boarding is not only a problem because of increased wait times for patients but also because it results in delays in administration of medication, higher rates of complications, and increased mortality. METHODS: In an attempt to improve patient flow and reduce time spent in the emergency department for patients requiring admission to the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), the emergency department, trauma service, and SICU collaborated on a guideline...

INTRODUCTION: In Australia, on any given day, there are more than 300 advertised emergency nursing positions, and this situation can be replicated in nearly every country internationally. The nursing shortage globally is known. The importance of not only why nurses specialize in the field of emergency nursing but also why they remain in the field requires an understanding of the evidence and research into nursing recruitment and retention. Leadership within the emergency department has a strong correlation to staff retention...

INTRODUCTION: Injury from firearms is a significant problem in the United States, accounting for 73% of all homicides and 50% of all suicides that occurred among US residents. What is not known are the perceptions of emergency nurses regarding the impact of in-home access on the risk for firearm-related injury and death in their patient populations. The purpose of this study was to explore emergency nurses' perception of patient risk for firearm injury and in which ways that perception affected the process of ED patient screening, assessment, counseling, and discharge education...

INTRODUCTION: Handoff in the emergency department is considered a high-risk period for medical errors to occur. In response to concerns about the effectiveness of the nursing handoff in the emergency department of a Midwestern trauma center, a practice improvement project was implemented. The process change required nursing handoff at shift changes to be conducted at the bedside, using an adapted situation, background, assessment, recommendation (SBAR) communication tool. METHODS: For this project, the intervention effectiveness was measured using pre- and post-implementation scores on a nursing handoff questionnaire, selected items on the Hospital Survey on Patient Safety Culture, and handoff observations documented by nursing leadership...